By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The suspended Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Ahmed Idris, has been remanded in prison pending the determination of their bail applications.
He was arraigned before Justice Adeyemi Ajayi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama Abuja, on Friday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
At the court today, the judge said the professional accountant should be kept in the recently-attacked Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja for now.
Mr Idris is facing a 14-count charge bordering on gratification, abuse of office and money laundering to the tune of over N109 billion.
He was brought before the court alongside Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.
“That you, Ahmed Idris between February and December, 2021 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, being a public servant by virtue of your position as the Accountant General of the Federation accepted from Olusegun Akindele, a gratification in the aggregate sum of N15,136,221,921.46 ( Fifteen Billion, One Hundred and Thirty Six Million, Two Hundred and Twenty One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty One Naira and Forty Six Kobo) which sum was converted to the United States Dollars by the said Olusegun Akindele and which sum did not form part of your lawful remuneration but as a motive for accelerating the payment of 13% derivation to the nine (9) oil producing States in the Federation, through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 155 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and punishable under the same section,” one of the charges read.
“That you, Ahmed Idris while being the Accountant General of the Federation and Godfrey Olusegun Akindele while being the Technical Assistant to the Accountant General of the Federation between February and November 2021, at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, in such capacity, entrusted with a certain property, to wit: N84,390,000,000(Eighty-Four Billion, Three Hundred and Ninety Million Naira) committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property when you dishonestly received the said sum from the Federal Government of Nigeria through Godfrey Olusegun Akindele trading under the name and style of Olusegun Akindele & Co., and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990,” another charge read.
After the charges were read, the defendants pleaded not guilty and the judge adjourned the matter to July 27, 2022.
Adedapo Adesanya